Curtain-fixture.



' PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. I. L. HOTALING.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT onrrcn.

IRVING L. HOTALING, OF RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 21, 1908.

Application filed February 10.1906. Serial No. 300.436.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, IRVING L. HOTALING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverton, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ourtain- Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to curtain fixtures of that type wherein a curtain stick, secured in or to the lower portion of a curtain, is provided with a head at each end carrying devices engaging a guiding groove of the win dow frame, and automatically resisting, through frictional engagement with the guide the upward pull of the curtain-roller spring, while permitting the curtain and fixture to be freely drawn downwardly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, economical, and reliable curtain fixture well adapted for use on ourtains employing a comparatively strong curtain-roller spring, and capable of affording a large degree of resistance or opposition to the upward pull of thelatter.

To this end the invention consists in a device characterized principally by the combination with a hollow or tubular curtain stick, of spring-pressed rods mounted therein and projecting beyond the ends thereof, hollow heads loosely mounted on said rods and carrying guide-engaging rollers, and brakes connected rigidly to the ends of said rods and adapted to be forced into braking engagement with the rollers of the head.

My invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view with the curtain stick and one head in longitudinal section, of the lower portion of a curtain equipped with my improved fixture, and Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating amodification ghepein the rollers areloosely mounted in the ear Referring first to Fig. 1, 5 designates the lower end portion of a curtain, in a pocket 6 of which is mounted a tubular curtain stick 7. Slidably mounted in this latter are a pair of rods 8, the outer ends of which projectbeyond the outer ends of the stick, and have loosely mounted thereon hollow heads 9. The rods 8 are normally forced apart by an interposed compression spring 10, and are capable of retraction by pinch handles 1 1 connected thereto and playing in a slot 12 of.the curtain stick. Mounted on pins 13 secured in and between the side walls of the head are rollers 14 which peripherally contact the casing guide, the surface of which is indicated by the line 15. Rigidly mounted onthe outer end of each rod 8, and within the head 9, is a brake bar 16, the opposite ends of which are hollowed or concaved, as shown at 17, to form brake shoes for the rollers 14. To guide and correctly position the brake bar relatively to the head and rollers, pin and slot connections between the brake bar and head are preferably employed, the sides of the head being herein shown as formed with transverse slots 18 both above and below the center of the brake bar, said slots being engaged by pins 19 projecting laterally from the sides of the brake bar.

In operation,it being remembered that the heads 9 are loose on the rods 8 and capable of an in-and-out movement relatively thereto-the thrust of the spring 10 normally tends to force the brake bar outwardly relatively to the head, thereby throwing both of the brake shoes 17 into strong braking engagement with the rollers 14, preventing the rotation of the latter under the upward pull of the curtain-roller spring, and thereby producing sufficient friction at the points of contact of said rollers with the casing guide to overcome the upward pull and cause the curtain to remain stationary in adjusted position. When it is desired to draw the curtain downwardly, the pinch the brake bars, and leaves the rollers free toroll downwardly along and over the casing guide.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 is identical with that of Fig. 1, with the exception that the rollers 14 are provided with enlarged bearing openings 20, making said rollers in effect rings, and affording lost motion between the rollers and the pins 13 on which they are mounted. It will be seen that by reason of this construction, the thrust imparted to the rollers by the brake bar can be transmitted directly through the rollers to the casing guide, thus always insuring contact of the rollers with the casing guide even under irregularities in the surface of the latter.

I claim:

1. A curtain fixture comprising a curtain stick, a spring-pressed rod carried thereby, a head loosely mounted on said rod independently of the curtain stick, a roller carried by said head, and a brake actuated by said spring-pressed rod, and engaging said roller, substantially as described.

2. A curtain fixture comprising a curtain stick, a spring-pressed rod carried thereby, a head loosely mounted on said rod independently of the curtain stick, a pair of rollers carried by said head, and a brake bar mounted on the end of said rod and frictionally engaging said rollers, substantially as described.

3. A curtain fixture comprising a tubular curtain stick, a spring-pressed rod slidably mounted therein, a head loosely mounted on said rod independently of the curtain stick, a pair of rollers mounted in said head, and a brake-bar mounted on the end of said rod and frictionally engaging said rollers, substantially as described.

4. A curtain fixture comprising a tubular curtain stick, a spring-pressed rod slidably mounted therein, a head loosely mounted on said rod independently of the curtain stick, a pair of rollers mounted in said head, and a brake-bar mounted on the end of said rod and having recessed portions frictionally engaging the peripheries of said rollers, substantially as described.

5. A curtain fixture comprising a curtain stick, a spring-pressed rod carried thereby, a head loosely mounted on said rod independently of the curtain stick, a pair of rollers mounted in said head, and a brake-bar mounted on the end of said rod and frictionally engaging said rollers, said brake bar having pin and slot connections With the side Wallsof said head, substantially as described.

IRVING L. HOTALING.

Witnesses:

ERNEST BARTELT, LAWRENCE B. READER. 

